Page 67 of Fair Play
“Well, I’m glad you’re on the mend. See you later.” He disappears up the stairs and I watch him go, irritation coursing through me.
It’s not that he’s done anything specific to piss me off, it’s just this whole situation with Billie. How the hell am I going to spend the next week sleeping without her? I’ve gotten used to having her next to me, seeing her pretty face first thing when I open my eyes, watching her make breakfast wearing nothing but one of my shirts.
Fuck, it’s going to be a long week until the next road trip, when Bodi leaves and I can breathe again.
The gymat the arena is quiet and empty when I get there on Sunday. I’m supposed to start walking tomorrow, but I can’t wait, and the groin is feeling a lot better. Frankly, with Billie working crazy hours and Bodi always underfoot, I’m going stir crazy.
I start out slow, because I don’t want to do anything to delay my recovery, and focus on whether or not there’s any pain that’s different than the norm. There’s movement behind me and I see Marty coming in.
“Hey, man.” I call out a greeting. He’s one of the few guys on the team I almost feel a kinship with. We’re close to the same age and he went through a pretty acrimonious divorce, so it feels like there’s something to bond over.
“How are you doing?” Marty asks, jumping on the treadmill next to mine.
“Not too bad,” I say. “Moving slow but at least I’m moving.”
“Good to hear. What have you been doing while you’re out?”
“Nothing,” I grumble. “It’s been boring as fuck.”
“Isn’t your family here?”
“Yeah, but we’re not close.”
“How’s it going living with Bodi and his sister?”
Jesus.
Nothing like being put on the spot.
“It’s fine,” I say with a shrug. “She’s almost never home, and he’s gone almost as much. It’s like having a place to myself. Honestly, moving in with Bodi really saved my ass because real estate in L.A. is ridiculous.”
“I hear that.” Marty nods. “But still, most real estate is a good investment.”
“I’m not looking to stay here once I retire,” I say carefully.
“No? Even though this is home?”
“I bought a place in upstate New York. Right on the lake. Five acres. Fishing and hiking and lots of peace and quiet. The exact opposite of L.A. That’s what my retirement plan looks like.”
Marty grimaces. “That sounds like torture to me, but to each his own. If that floats your boat, it’s a good plan. Especially if the place is paid off.”
I hesitate but it’s not like I have anything to hide. “It will be if I can play one more season. I’m close, but the second divorce wiped me out. And you know how it is once you get older—you never know which season will be your last.”
He nods. “Oh, yeah. I’ve got a couple of years left on my contract and then I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
“What does your fiancé think?”
“Stevie’s a model, so she loves L.A. and this is going to be our home base for the foreseeable future.”
“You want to raise your kids here?”
“Sure. They’ll be in private school regardless of where we live, so that’s not a concern, and this is where Stevie has to be. Besides, as much as I enjoy downtime at home with my family, I also enjoy going to nice restaurants, the beach, being close to museums and culture. Small town life is not for me.”
“After my second divorce I just wanted something that was mine. Small and secluded.”
“A place to lick your wounds.”
I never thought of it that way, but he’s right.
